It has been estimated that a few decades worth of water running through the dale carved it out, spilling the displaced earth into Lake Pickering.
[6][7] Killing Nab Scar, a cliff face in the wood just to the north of Newton Dale railway station, was formerly a place where the farmers of Goathland were, according to the terms of their tenancy, obliged to breed, raise and train hawks for royal use.
[13] The bog is 59 feet (18 m) deep in places and is a Special Area of Conservation on account of the grasses and butterflies which are resident there.
[15] The dale was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1955 due to the varied plant and wildlife that it supports across wetland, woodland and bogland.
[19] Up until 2011, there was a forest drive road between the villages of Levisham and Stape, but the Forestry Commission closed the route because of landslips, prohibitive repair costs and to preserve the ecology of the dale due to its SSSI status.
[20] Newtondale Horse Trail is a 37-mile (60 km) long distance walker's route that utilises bridleways and paths through the dale between Grosmont and Pickering.